WhatsApp Reiterates Facebook Deal Will Not Put Users Data At Risk.

WhatsApp Reiterates Facebook Deal Will Not Put Users Data At Risk.

A month has almost passed since Facebooks plans to Acquire Whatsapp and as of today a blog post has been published with the title “Setting the record straight” in which co-founder and CEO Jan Koum has attempting to address recent concerns about the how transactions will be affecting the popular messaging app. Koum begins with thanking everyone who has been covering news, but quickly changes the subject to discuss the “inaccurate and careless information circulating about what our future partnership would mean for WhatsApp users’ data and privacy.”

History Lesson.

Koum goes on to explain that private communication is very important for himself due to his experience in growing up in the USSR during the 1980s where his family had no freedom to speak on phones without fearing their communication being monitored by the KGB. He went on to say that one particular memory that stuck out the most during that time was a phrase his mother would regularly say. “This is not a phone conversation; I’ll tell you in person.”

The post continues to explain that privacy is what makes up WhatsApp. The application never asks for a person name, email address, birthday, where one works, home address, likes, dislikes, search history, nor a persons GPS location. Since data is not collected. its not possible for it to be stored by WhatsApp. Koum says that his company has “no plans to change that.”

Behind The Acquisition.

He goes on to explain the reason on why he decided to allow Facebook acquisitioning Whatsapp:

If partnering with Facebook meant that we had to change our values, we wouldn’t have done it. Instead, we are forming a partnership that would allow us to continue operating independently and autonomously. Our fundamental values and beliefs will not change. Our principles will not change. Everything that has made WhatsApp the leader in personal messaging will still be in place. Speculation to the contrary isn’t just baseless and unfounded, it’s irresponsible. It has the effect of scaring people into thinking we’re suddenly collecting all kinds of new data. That’s just not true, and it’s important to us that you know that.